


Ballroom Magic

by sheepscot



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Gen, Harry Potter doesn't go to Hogwarts, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm reading books to further my knowledge, My First Fanfic, Other Characters - Freeform, Puns & Word Play, Research, Tutoring, Well-Meaning Albus Dumbledore, adding tags as I go, but only in the chapter titles, can you tell i'm a ravenclaw?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-28 01:51:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 53
Words: 10,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14438922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepscot/pseuds/sheepscot
Summary: What if the Dursley's urge to appear normal led Harry to a chance (escape) at making a respectable name for himself in the sports(?) world.





	1. Waltz to a new tune

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, welcome. Thanks for being interested. I watched Baby Ballroom on Netflix and thought what if there was more dancing in the Harry Potter universe? and how that would work.
> 
> I don't have any beta readers, this is my first fanfic. And I'm more of a visual person and writing isn't the most natural thing for me to do.

Mrs. Dursley was watching a program on the tele about youth ballroom dancing one afternoon and became enamoured with the thought of her little dudders waltzing in a suit. It would also make her seem like a better mother than the others in the neighborhood. She wanted to start lessons right away and new just where to go from the program she watched. But she worried about _the boy_. He was too young to be left alone (what would the neighbors think? Not to mention she didn’t trust him in her lovely house) and the usual sitter was visiting her family for the month. Vernon was busy making connection for work hoping for a promotion so couldn’t look after him. She and Vernon had spent the entire duration of the boy’s stay in their home setting him up as a troublemaker and delinquent, no one would think to watch the brat.

 

Mrs. Dursley silently fumed in her living room. She’d have to take the boy with her precious son to the dancing class. So with a pinched face that weekend, she loaded the car with enough snacks to keep her baby boy happy and drove to the dancing studio.

 

Once she herded her charges into the studio she had to sign up Dudley Dursley and Harry Potter for the newcomers introduction and sat on the side of the room as she proudly watched her son with the other children while ignoring her nephew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking updating once a week or so, I'm an adult who works five days a week and I still need to keep up with making my own food and maintaining a yard (fall leaves never disappear).
> 
> Comment if you want, I know I don't have the conviction to write something coherent to authors. If not please leave a kudos.


	2. Swing into the rhythm

Harry couldn’t believe that he was taken somewhere. In all of his seven years of life the Dursley’s had never taken him somewhere as exciting as this dance studio. None of these people knew him or Dudley. And with all of the adults in the room no trouble should happen. Maybe he could make a friend today. Even if he couldn’t keep in contact afterwords, his new friend wouldn’t have Dudley scaring them away. So Harry put his all in following the instructor’s lesson. 

He felt like he was doing pretty good. All of that running and dodging from his cousin made him agile. And Harry noticed Dudley was sulking in the corner not participating. Probably missing his cartoon show Harry thought. 

Harry was enjoying the experience of dancing he didn’t notice several pairs of eyes trained on him while he concentrated moving to the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So most chapters will be short. I haven't written anything other than essays in a long time. At least this won't be one of those stories that will suck up all of your free time because it's so long.


	3. Jitterbug Decides the Future

Taylor Moore bounced on the balls of her feet looking for a dance partner at the small group of introductory children. She had taken up dancing the year before because her mother had been a professional dancer when young. Having that connection of doing the same things as her mother made her proud, and the thought of wearing beautiful dresses was a bonus.

There were not many boys at the meeting today, there never were. And her mum said that to get the best trophies and be a champion, she needed a boy partner. Being in the all girls division (because there were not enough boys) was not going to cut it. 

One huge boy was in a corner not dancing and yanking on the curtains clearly displeased with dancing. Taylor wasn’t sure how he stayed upright with how big the boy was. Another boy was somewhere in the middle of the group was making half hearted attempts at dancing but it seemed he didn’t think that dancing was cool enough. And he looked to be ten years old and that wouldn’t be a good fit for the eight year old; competition age bracket wise. The last boy was up front closest to the teachers and matching their movements. He looked skinny and the workout clothes he wore looked (to put it nicely) thoroughly used. 

Taylor turned to her mum and discussed that the skinny enthusiastic boy with the messy black hair was the promising candidate.


	4. Quickstep Out Of My Life

Mrs. Dursley was disappointed that her diddykins spent the entire lesson off the side deliberately not dancing. Thinking that her dream of him looking dashing in a suit with a pretty little blonde girl could be over before it had begun, promptly began to heap praises upon Dudley thinking that if he was promised enough, he’d want to continue dancing. She didn’t notice her nephew shuffle near them resigned to be reprimanded for doing better than his cousin. She also didn’t notice a mother and daughter pair approaching them.

She heard a woman bid a greeting to her and turned to see and woman with honey colored hair that appeared in her late thirties and a little blonde girl. Could her hopes be coming true? That this was a message from the heavens saying that her son would become an amazing dancer. Petunia promptly stood up to return the woman’s greeting and worked her suburban housewife charm. And quickly found out that it was not her perfect son they were seeking as a partner but that wretch of a boy who always messed up her life. 

Petunia wanted to dismiss the entire notion but a small kernel of an idea began to form. She remembered from the tele’s program that boys were in high demand and sometimes would move counties to dance in England. What if she could fob off the boy to this family and never have to think of nephews and magic again? Not one of those freaks had ever interrupted her life since the boy was found on their doorstep. And then they would be free. She would finally sleep peacefully at night, knowing her son wouldn’t have to someday know of magic. 

So Petunia gave a positive response to the idea of a partnership.


	5. Hustle Along

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone enjoying the dance style themed chapter titles?

The Dursley’s managed to get the Moore’s to take Harry into their home citing that to really have the time to invest Harry with dancing, would not give them time to spend with Dudley. 

Arrangements had to be made by the Dursley’s quickly. Like getting clothes that fit Harry. The world needed to know that nothing unbecoming went on at 4 Privet Drive, and its normal for boys to own more than oversized hand me downs. 

Petunia went to the second hand clothing shop while Vernon laid down the rules for living with the Moore’s: That they can never learn about the cupboard or what a freak Harry is that if they were to find out, there would be no more dancing. Harry would be back with his relatives and his early life would seem like a dream compared to what would happen if the truth came out. 

Young Harry didn’t know any better than to agree. This would be his chance away from his relatives; no one would call him a freak or boy (hopefully). Dancing will be his ticket to freedom.


	6. Poppin' News

Taylor helped Harry bring his duffle bag up the stairs to the guest room of her house. He would be staying here to better coordinate their schedules and all that. She didn’t exactly understand the finer points of the situation but she and Harry could practice nearly all the time now. Her chances of making it pro seemed to exponentially grow with this development. 

Mrs. Jessica Moore was happy that her daughter was ecstatic. Dance lessons were drafted with teachers and the local school informed earlier that week that they had a new student being admitted. She noticed that he seemed a little Bambi like (all limbs and that a strong wind could knock him over) and vowed to get some weight on the child. It wasn’t a huge issue now but in future years he will need the mass to perform the more rigorous dance moves. But Harry seemed enthusiastic about dancing which was a good sign that everything would work out and trophies lauding their success would soon fill any horizontal surface in her home. 

Something will have to be done with his hair and scar on his forehead, maybe liquid latex and cosmetics to cover it up. And a visit to the stylist, that hair seems to have a mind of its own.


	7. Twist Things to Your Favor

Petunia inwardly sighed that she had to let the boy visit one weekend afternoon once a month. She wasn’t completely rid of the little menace. But she made up for the kink in her life; she planned a tea group with the rest of the women from around the neighborhood when her nephew had to stay and got to rub it in everyone’s faces that the boy was on his way to being the national champion ballroom dancer of England. Mrs. 12 Private Drive complimented Petunia on how she was able to turn Harry into a respectable member of society. Another woman (lives three streets to the left, whatever her name was) cooed over Harry and complained that her sons, age 13 and 16 would never even think of wearing anything so proper.

Petunia soaked in the envy directed towards her as Harry showed some of his moves to the tea members. Yes, Petunia thinks this arrangement will work out wonderfully: Be rid of the boy (mostly) and have all of the towns’ gossips be positive towards her. 

Vernon and Dudley spent their time at the cinema, to avoid spending time with Harry but returned in time for the Moore’s to pick him up and take him away from their heaven of normalcy.


	8. Practice Makes Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I couldn't find a fitting dance style to match the vibe of the chapter.

Harry loved it with the Moore’s; he had a room with a bed, clothes that fit him, regular meals where seconds were encouraged, and a new school without his cousin to bully him in class. Mr. and Mrs. Moore said that they wanted Harry to still focus on school and get good grades, they were supportive and helped him and Taylor with homework but never did it for them (like Aunt Petunia did for Dudley). 

His classes to learn dancing were going great; Harry had no idea that there were so many dance styles and wanted to learn about them all. The history of how dances were made and gained popularity fascinated him. It soon became a hobby to read up on obscure or historical dances.

He silently vowed that he would become the best dancer so there was no chance that Taylor and her parents would ever think of sending him back to his relatives.


	9. Mayday May Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist the pun, but nothing bad happens. Don't worry. I promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did the math (backtracked the calendar feature on my computer) and May 1 1988 was a Sunday. So everything works out for my story.

For spring the Moore’s surprised Harry and Taylor by finding a town that was celebrating May Day, and that meant participating in a maypole dance. Harry was very excited; it was one of those dances that weren’t well documented. Really the only way to learn was from experience and experience is the only way to learn to dance. So that Sunday they all drove out to a small town in the countryside and joined in the festivities.  
Taylor was bought a flower crown to wear and Harry a manly crown of green leaves. Once suitably outfitted they joined the other children around the maypole and were taught the steps to weave around each other with their ribbons to wrap around the maypole. Harry took keen notice in the step pattern and how the ribbons fit together perfectly.

When the time came for the dance to be performed in front of everyone Harry was nervous. He’d only been with the Moore’s a few months: this was his first time in front of an audience. The pressure to perform well steadily crept up his spine like a spider and once the music started and he began to move, all he could think of was to make sure that the dance went successfully. It had to; his dedication to all things dancing wouldn’t accept anything less. 

Before Harry knew it the dance was unwinding around the maypole and nobody had messed up. All everyone had to do now was completely unweave the pole and then reweave it back up again. As the children let go of the ribbons when they finished a warm gentle breeze swept out and spread through the entire town. The crowd cheered and clapped, and the rest of the day was spent enjoying nature and good company. If the town noticed that the flowers and gardens did better than surrounding towns that year they claimed it on the good weather. (not that they knew any better).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I went to a Waldorf school where May Day was celebrated every year. We had to dress up in medieval clothing no matter the weather. The younger grades would dance around the may pole. 6th graders would perform a hilt-and-point sword dance (with wooden swords [no sharp objects for unruly 13 year olds]).
> 
> May Day for me always means singing Hal-an-Tow. Go look it up. And perhaps sing it next May Day.
> 
> On a personal note I discovered that wasps started building a nest on the underside of my house's gutter board. Fun for everyone...


	10. Cheer Squads (and Magic) Make Everything Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dance competition!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are slowly getting longer. is this a good or bad thing?

At ten years old Harry was a confident young boy. He was the best male ballroom dancer in his age group (nearly, nationals were next week and really no one could beat him and Taylor). He had a group of friends who supported his passion (they all had their interests that seemed odd but they looked past that and that’s what made them so great.) And the Moore’s were his parents and sister that he wished he had as a lonely child in his cupboard. He was sure that his biological parents would be proud of him for making a better life than they had had (because that is what parents always wish for Harry learned. (No matter how degenerate he was told they may have been.))

So when the dawn of Nationals came up, the family of four (and Harry was considered family by this point) and they’re closest friends all traveled to the hall where the competition would take place. Taylor and Harry signed in and got their assigned number and warmed up. With limber limbs they glided onto the dance floor with the other couples and took one last look at their cheer squad and noticed the rare appearance of the Dursley contingent.

Today they would be vying for medals in the foxtrot, waltz, and quickstep categories. It would be tough but worth it if they managed to win those groups. They started with enthusiasm and were selected from the preliminaries to go on to the finals in all of their chosen categories. It was after the waltz finals but before the foxtrot and quickstep rounds began when Harry’s foot skid on the floor and he injured his ankle.

Everyone expressed concern, Mr. and Mrs. Moore said they would understand if Harry withdrew to not further injure himself but all Harry could do was silently panic. The Dursley’s were here, what if they saw him withdrawing as a sign of weakness and made him stop dancing? He never fully forgot what life was before dancing and Harry couldn’t go back to being hunted by Dudley and his gang, the chores, the cupboard, and worse (whatever was worse) at the Dursley residence. He kept on thinking that if only his ankle was healed than he could dance and win and his life would be secured and back on track _andhecouldn’tgobacktohavingnofriendsorlovingfamilyanddancingishisfreedomandwhydidhisanklehurtsomuchpleasegetbetterandhejustwantstodanceandhecouldn’tloosehisjoyand_ −and suddenly his ankle felt fine. There seemed to be a feeling of ‘just dipped into the perfect bath water’ around his ankle but there was no pain. Thinking it was adrenaline, Harry got up and said he would continue so he and Taylor got on the dance floor and put their all into their performances. In the end Harry and Taylor managed to win their sections and everyone cheered for them but Harry could see the way his aunt Petunia’s eyebrows pinched when she smiled that meant she was not pleased but couldn’t express it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is Hogwarts Bru ha ha


	11. News of a New Dance Craze?

The week of July 22 1991 started off normally but it was Wednesday the 24th that something unusual happened. A letter with no postmark was mixed with the typical mail. It was addressed to:

 

Mr. H. Potter

3rd bedroom

27 Chriserly Ln

Windsor

Berkshire

 

The letter got some exclaims that it appeared to be written on parchment and had a honest to god wax seal. The specific bedroom noted brought concern. But Harry was allowed to open the mysterious letter and got a surprise at the invitation to a school for magic. Debating its authenticity Harry handed the letter to Todd Moore (Taylor’s father) who read it and decided to call up the Dursleys to ask if they knew anything about this bizarre event. Petunia picked up the phone and snappily replied that it was a hoax and to ignore all notion of magic before abruptly hanging up the phone.

 

So life continued for the residents of the Moore household, dancing practice continued, and leisurely summer homework was put off. On Monday the next week another two letters appeared in the days post. They couldn’t complain to the post office because these strange letters didn’t appear to go through the postal system. So these letters were promptly disregarded. The next night July 30th the children were asleep and Mr. and Mrs. Moore were making last minute plans for Harry’s birthday party when loud knocking was heard at their front door. Todd and Jennifer cautiously looked through the peephole and saw the largest man they had ever seen on the other side.

 

The knocking continued, vibrating through the entire house and Jennifer was certain that it must have woken up the kids. Soon they noticed stress on the door hinges and had to open the door before it broke. The giant man commented that it took them long enough to answer and to please bring Harry down. Jennifer loudly ordered Harry and Taylor to stay upstairs while Todd explained that random strange men showing up and asking for young children in the middle of the night is very suspicious and kindly leave and never return or the authorities would be called.

 

The outlandishly massive man (who was still standing on the porch) muttered about dumbl-something and Todd made the connection with the letter and told him to (in unkind language) go away and not bother them with fraud school schemes. Which made the huge stranger rant about how Mrs. Dursley should know better because of her sister. That statement lead to the reveal (to the stranger) that they were the Moore’s and that this whole thing was crazy: that that magic school and anyone associated with it were cracked. That lead to the large mans pink umbrella to spark wildly and cause small plots of flowers to sprout from the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> I've always thought it odd that the letters in canon appeared so fast and accurately. Like Hogwarts is in Northern Scotland and Harry lives in (canon) Surrey which is to the south west of London which is only 50 miles away from the southern coast of England. And seeing that wizard mail is carried out by owls (top speed of an english barn owl is 50 MPH (top speeds are akin to sprinting)) an owl will be going at it marathon style to reach Harry to deliver his letter (a moderate speed for long distance) which would be around 35 MPH.  
> And seeing that Inverness Scotland (I'm using Inverness as a general location for Hogwarts even though I believe the school is even further North) to London England is approximately 550 Miles apart, the time needed for an owl to fly without breaks at 35MPH would be 15 hours 42 minutes and 51 seconds. Which does not give enough reply time for the owls to return to Hogwarts with a reply or not (if they didn't need to rest) for new letters to be sent out to Harry for the next day.  
> So either the letters have self updating addresses on them so the owls will magically know where to go at a moments notice (during the whole trip-to-avoid-letters that ended at the hut on the rock) or Albus Dumbledore was trolling the Dursley household by apparating to diagon alley and sending the letters from there (a much closer location seeing as london is only 30 miles away from Surrey). And if the later was the case WTF Dumbledore, just go to Little Whinging yourself and cut it with the harassment and stop overworking all of your owls!


	12. Interpretive Reasoning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a comment about my low word count. And I have to say, I did warn you readers that most chapters will be short. I think you will find my writing style for this story to be summed up in one word: Succinct.

Albus Dumbledore was concerned; Hagrid had returned confused and distressed but most importantly without Harry Potter. Saying that the people with Harry had been asking questions to complicated for Hagrid to answer. But what was most concerning was that the boy wasn’t with his aunt and the blood wards. Bless muggles and how they never lived through the terror of Voldemort but Petunia clearly didn’t understand that the world was just experiencing the eye of the storm. The Dark Lord would be back and Harry needs those protections. After his visit with Harry, Albus would check the status of the wards at 4 Private Drive.

So here was the Albus Dumbledore riding the knight bus to the location of the-boy-who-lived to try and figure the situation out. Stepping off of the bus in Windsor to a road where all the houses looked similar. Checking another Hogwarts letter for the address Albus identified the house to his left to be his destination and walked over to the porch. 

After knocking on the door Albus was greeted by an average looking man, one who you’d glance over in a group setting. Once introducing himself and getting clearance to enter Albus got a good look at the houses interior. Trophies stood proudly on tables and shelves while medals, certificates and photos hung on the wall. Albus relaxed a tad seeing a cheerful little boy with distinctive green eyes in those photos. Maybe things aren’t as dire as he thought if Harry seemed happy.


	13. Tap Tap Tap the countdown is running

Petunia knew after that phone call from the Moore’s that she couldn’t ignore the inevitable anymore. Her nephew would be learning magic and she would not let it affect her husband and son. So Petunia casually mentioned that Vernon and Dudley should have a boy’s week. It worked; she was now free to deal with her freakish nephew. 

And it wasn’t a moment to soon as an owl swooped into her immaculate kitchen bearing a letter in a script she associated with bad news: That old man declared his invasion against her seamless suburban existence. No experience with magic had gone well with Petunia; first it made her sister leave home where she couldn’t follow, second; it made her wary of the authenticity of anything, knowing magic could turn rats into tea cups left one unsure of the legitimacy of a lot of things, and third; magic took her sister away a final time with her death. 

If the majority of the world got to live without the knowledge of magic why couldn’t she be a part of it? (not knowing of magic that is) Why did she have to look at those familiar green eyes and know that magic will someday ruin more of her life? That was why she let her son treat Harry like he had; Dudley won’t be emotionally hurt when Harry leaves. 

Worked up Petunia decided that enough was enough, she would tell that freak that magic would not be welcomed in her home any longer.


	14. The Spinning Lame Ducks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you are wondering 'what could second term american presidents have to do with dancing?' Well, a lame duck also happens to be a type of spin in ballet.

Harry didn’t know what to think, his parents weren’t drunks? That they were rich?? They had magic?! He has magic??!! That there is a school to learn magic!!! 

When Mr. Merlin-look-a-like came and told him about Hogwarts (which wasn’t a hoax) and what happens there two things jumped out at Harry; that it’s a boarding school located in who knows where Northern Scotland and they had absolutely no dancing there. In fact the only extracurricular it seemed was a mad game on broomsticks with injury statistics higher than rugby! He knew for certain that he would never play that sport.

Hogwarts probably meant that he had to give up dancing with Taylor, and Harry didn’t know if he would be expected to move back with his Aunt Petunia. Harry really didn’t want to live in his cupboard again. So Hogwarts is out, maybe there is a small local school for magic he could attend or something?

The schools headmaster had let Harry have an extension of the acceptance due date because of him not living with his aunt (and because he was famous apparently!).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose this title for all the thinking Harry has to do in this chapter.
> 
> With Dumbledore in this fic, I'm not bashing him, he just rarely makes the right decisions ever, so of course he'd drop the bomb that Harry is famous right as he is leaving.


	15. Jump Up to the Occasion

Horace Slughorn truly enjoyed his retirement, his days and weeks were spent having tea and dinner with the many students he had cultivated and exhibited to just the right people to get them where they could do there best. Seeing that promise turn into full-blown experience just felt _right_. Yet retirement left him without the chance to meet any potential talent. He was missing out on all of that new talent. What a conundrum Horace was in!

It was with these feelings that Horace opened and started to read the Daily Prophet with his breakfast. When his morning meal was almost finished, Horace found the advertisements. Within them was one that piqued his interest; someone was looking for a tutor because the Hogwarts education didn’t allow time for their passion in dancing.

Oh, this is exactly the kind of possible ability that Horace loves to nurture. Taking note of the contact information Horace began to write a letter, informing the recipient of his teaching experience (being head of Slytherin House gave him a well rounded knowledge of all subjects) and peppering the message with anecdotes of the success of his previous students that he sponsored.

Once the letter was finished, he sent it off with his best owl (a gift from a former student of course) and hoped that the lad would see that he, Horace, was the best choice of tutor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does anyone find that once you start writing one fanfic you start getting ideas for like twenty others? I'm doing my best at writing the synopsis of them down but I'm trying not to be that author that has no finished stories because they start something new. I already do that with craft projects.


	16. Stay out of the Mosh Pit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mosh pits are the anarchists dance

Dumbledore paced around his office at Hogwarts. The meeting with Petunia had been a disaster and the results were the broken blood wards. He had never foreseen any complications when he left little Harry on the doorstep of 4 Privet Drive a decade ago. But this might be even bigger than the uprising of Voldemort. 

In magical laws any Hogwarts students who lived with muggles had the headmaster as their legal point of contact, but Harry wasn’t of school age yet, all decisions were left to his guardians; guardians who declared that they would never accept any magic in their home ever. In the eyes of the Ministry of Magic Harry Potter has no caretaker. And in muggle laws Harry would most likely be sent to what he remembers as ‘foster care’. And it won’t do for Harry to be sent to one family after another, spreading the secret of magic wherever he lives. But the only magical family the boy has (distantly) was dark and that would also not do. 

And just this morning he saw the ad in the papers enquiring after a tutor for a dancing student. Albus fears that young Harry will reject Hogwarts thus severely limiting his influence over the young boy. And he can’t just suddenly claim guardianship over Harry; he had left everything to Petunia, and the Wizengamot is aware that all decisions are left to his family.

If the public were to learn what he did back in 1981 after Voldemort’s downfall regarding Harry, they would have his head. Dumbledore was sure: the laws states that children must be put with their closest magical relatives, but Albus bypassed that rule and left the child with the muggle Petunia and used his considerable political clout and jovial personality to ensure the populace that everything was fine. The fact that Harry is only now learning of magic would contradict everything he has said about Harry to the world. 

Dumbledore continued to pace not seeing a good plan of how to proceed.


	17. Locking Down Plans

Voldemort was most displeased. The fool he has managed to persuade to bring him back to England had failed to steal the philosophers stone while it was in Gringotts. Now it is in the hands of that infuriating Dumbledore. 

But it is no matter; luckily the same fool will be a teacher at Hogwarts. Voldemort has all year to devise a plan to pluck the elixir of life from the cold dead body of the leader of the light. And if anyone happens to get in his way, they won’t be alive to see him return to life and conquer Wizarding Britain.

It will be so good to return to Hogwarts after several decades, his first true home and the location to one of his horcruxes. Maybe it was time to visit his soul piece and bask in the knowledge that his immortality is secure. 

Such a busy year ahead. Especially after floating around as a bodiless wraith doing nothing for ten years.


	18. We Won’t Breakdance

Mrs. Moore was quite astonished. Not (primarily) of the magic being real part, but that Mrs. Dursley was shoving adoption papers and a shoebox of assorted documents into her hands. Apparently Petunia and her husband had only been tolerating magic all these years and an influx of “freaks” left them washing their hands of their nephew. The legal work to finalize this adoption will be a headache (they can’t mention magic to the government) but Harry already felt like family, so why not make it official.

She and Todd had already taken Harry to diagonal(?) alley and found out it was Hogwarts or home tutoring in regards to education. The discussion about schooling with Harry made the verdict, tutors. Therefore after a follow-up trip and some questions to the magical locals, the newspaper had been located and a small ad requesting a tutor filled out.

A small collection of replies was sitting together on the coffee table. Breakfast was now not only the most important meal of the day but the most exciting, what with owls pecking at windows delivering mail!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some poking around on the internet and found that for adopting in England, you can adopt a child relatively easily if the child (closely related to you or not) has been living in your house of a minimum of three years within the past five years. The process takes three months usually. And this is applicable to Harry and the Moores!


	19. Folks Dancing Around

Tutoring was going well, Harry was learning lots about magic. But there was one drawback: Harry understood it, really he did. There was a whole society of magic out there and he has sequestered himself away with his tutor, not meeting other magical kids his age. But the school season had already started, and all of his age mates were off at boarding school.

Mr. Slughorn (call me Horace) seemed delighted with the opportunity to host some function with some children who would be starting Hogwarts next year, and it seemed heavily implied to Harry that if there just so happened to be some reporters a quick interview could be done for the wizarding public to know how their boy-who-lived is living.

A Saturday afternoon set, Harry prepared to be questioned by children and adults alike.


	20. The Boy-Who-Lives to Dance by Rita Skeeter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like every author always despairs about writing Dumbledore but my Achilles Heel is Rita Skeeter. Please be kind on my attempt to capture her salacious script.

Readers, your dear investigator was invited to a charming get-to-gether Hosted by our Boy-Who-Lived, this party was for US the wizarding public: to get to know the vanquisher of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. 

First young Harry Potter meet yours truly and several others for an interview and I went for the question everyone wants to know: Where has our hero been for the past decade? The answer will shock you readers. Harry seemed wary yet proud, his striking green eyes wavered before settling. What could have happened in his childhood to bring such sorrow to his mind? His response told the story of how he grew up with his muggle Aunt until he learned to dance and moved in with his dancing partner. 

But why the muggle world? His own story clashes with all of the books published so the wizarding public could glimpse at how The-Boy-Who-Lived was living. Were they all lies? Dragons and dancing couldn’t be any more different.

Speaking of dancing, readers I must say that as someone who got a demonstration of his skills I can say that he is as graceful as a unicorn. It’s no surprise that our champion is pursuing private tutoring with the esteemed Horace Slughorn, you can bet that Harry Potter will go beyond all expectations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Rita wouldn't mention the parts she isn't interested in (other journalists and the kids for Harry to play with.) And she'd write Slughorn in a good light so she could get good stories out of him or his friends.
> 
> you can bet she will write more about Harry


	21. It Takes Two to Tango

Taylor’s head swooped down the nth time while Harry’s and hers teacher clapped to the rhythm and complained they were off beat. Stopping she shakes her limbs trying to reset her pace. Harry held out his hand and they were off stepping to the beat of the music and claps: spinning and dipping around the room.

 

Twenty minutes later Taylor drinks from her water bottle as she picks up her backpack, ready to head home and do her homework. Saying goodbye to Harry she watches as he heads to the stairwell to use his magic transport key thing to head to his magical classes. It was tricky, Harry’s in two rounds of tutoring: one for magic and one for normal not magic. Finding a teacher to impart literature, maths and science while keeping magic a secret seemed impossible until one interviewee gasped when they met Harry. They turned out to have come from a magical family but went into teaching when they couldn’t do magic themselves. So Harry had an extended school day split between regular and fantastical subjects that also made allowances to their dancing schedule. But on a plus side such individual education meant no homework for him. Taylor thought that tidbit was unfair.

 

Outside at the curb waited Taylor’s dad to drive her home. During the drive Taylor dragged out a textbook that she needed to read some of.  Harry would be back in another two hours and she hoped to be done with her studies so he could tell her about what he learned that day in the seclusion of their home. To learn that epic dragon battles were real made her want to know everything about magic.


	22. the Lines are Dancing

One of the many cultural things Harry learned from Horace was a mail ward. Now that the wizarding public knew he was back people were sending him letters at all times of the day and parliaments of owls in the day is the definition of conspicuous. Now letters were directed to a magical post office, sorted and put in a nifty table cabinet that translocated anything inside to a matching cabinet in his bedroom. 

Harry didn’t enjoy reading all of the random people who wrote multiple scrolls worth of drivel about how great he was: he’d never met them for goodness sake! But one good thing from that publicity stunt was meeting Luna Lovegood. She hitched a ride on her dads invite seeing as he owned a magazine. And she had so many interesting things to tell! Like the plants in her garden whose fruits float or that there were things in the world that even magic had a hard time seeing. She also knew of wizarding exclusive dances and it makes sense, the statute of secrecy was put into effect around three hundred years ago, their society separated and created a social identity of their own. So of course there would be unique dances.

Luna would send parchment filled with little doodles of dancing couples that would flit about in repetitive motions and watching them, Harry would piece together how the dances would go. 

Harry would write Luna about almost anything from the non-magical subjects he was learning to popular movies. And he had to spend quite a lot of time explaining film.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure on whether or not Dumbledore kept a mail ward on Harry in his early life. The headmaster might have said that harry wanted a normal childhood and to not send letters to the populace and that was that, or a ward was active but dispelled after it became clear he didn't have jurisdiction over Harry anymore.


	23. If it ain't baroque don't fix it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my computer basically went through catastrophic failure: The hard-drive died, the battery was on its last legs and the video chip within the motherboard was close to its end. And it took until now to figure that out/get a new computer.
> 
> On to the Public Service Announcement!
> 
> -If programs on your computer are randomly not working/corrupted? get it checked because thats a warning sign of a failing hard-drive
> 
> -Always backup all of your things all the time (possibly to multiple locations[err on the side of paranoia]) so none of it is lost

Severus Snape considered sending a Christmas card to his old potions teacher: for he had enabled that Harry Potter did not attend Hogwarts. The ease knowing that Severus did not have to look upon the child of what he hated and loved equally made his terrible life a little bit easier. 

Glaring at the staff while eating his breakfast Severus ruminated on how thoroughly complicated this school year would have been with the spawn of his teenage enemy. That the headmaster was holding something critically important to the fate of the wizarding world from nefarious forces would only end in catastrophe if Potter was in attendance, Severus had no doubts.

Of course appearing on Horace’s radar might trigger a meeting with the “celebrity” that Severus was celebrating not seeing. So best to let sleeping dogs lie. Besides just being in contact with his students and colleagues was too much, no need to add on to any social obligations.


	24. More Than Snowflakes Whirled at This Party By Rita Skeeter

Readers your favorite commentator has the news, scoops and gossip of the Ministries annual Yule Ball. For those who were placing bets Arthur Weasley did wear the same outfit for the sixth year in a row, and Secretary Hewlet was so inebriated that he kissed the wrong date halfway through the night. He should have saved that for the Saturnalia After Party.

But the biggest news readers is that our darling Harry Potter was in attendance. He charmed all of the women in the room with his fluid moves perfectly pulling off the Antipodean Opaleye Frisk with the other heirs and heiress’. All throughout the party Harry participated in the dances while I got an exclusive interview with his mentor Horace Slughorn. To read the interview see pg. 5.

The Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot all had pleasant reports on their first impression of the Boy Wonder.

To all of the seasonal celebrations everyone keeps, send me your best stories and they may appear for all to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> This idea has only come up recently for me but the fact that many of the names of characters from the Wizarding World have Ancient Roman backgrounds and all of the spells that are learned at Hogwarts are latin so why doesn't there seem to be a bigger influence of ancient roman holidays and traditions in the magical society.  
> All of the fics I've found that touch upon this subject all go into the pagan holidays. That is fine, but remember that Rome did conquer England (those crazy scots were just to much thus creating Hadrian's Wall to keep them northern war machines out of civilized society. Didn't exactly work {Scots will fight where they want to fight!!}) and Rome would have brought their religion and pantheon of gods for the people to follow along side their current beliefs (the only people who complained about the gods were the monotheistics seeing as the Emperor was considered a god and demanded to be worshiped. What was one more god among many for the polytheistic people.).  
> It would make sense if roman wizards moved to this new exciting land of England and settled possibly mixing with native magicals in magical comradery.  
> So it isn't to hard to imagine that there are some old pureblood families that practice Saturnalia the December holiday lasting a week, filled with partying and drinking. It honored the god Saturn and lasted a week where social boundaries were softened, slaves got to wear fancy clothes and jewelry, gamboling was legal during Saurnalia and you bet there was alcohol a plenty during this festival.


	25. There’s Samba-thing Different About You

Voldemort directed his _escort_ to a disused corridor on the seventh floor on New Years Eve. Nostalgia weighed on his mind while the search for the answers to get through the obstacle course Dumbledore had set up was stalled.

While everyone was enjoying his or her celebrations he opened up the Room of Requirement to assure himself that his tether to life was undisturbed. Making his way across the cluttered space Voldemort spied the Diadem and approached. Thinking it oddly fitting he would visit his soul on the anniversary of his birth.

Spreading his arms out he grasped it from either side and brought the circlet close. He could feel his horcrux thrum between his fingers. Feeling satisfied he was about to set it back when the horcrux’s magic flared and slammed into Quirrells body, immediately finding the match to its soul and mending.


	26. Without Dance What’s the Pointe?

Harry helped lead a small lecture on the history of love dances at their local studio for couples. Not that many people came to this event to mark Valentines Day. It was a plan to possibly get new people interested in dancing.

Really Harry was only there because he insisted to be, what with his obsession with the records of dance. A projector was set up with slides and after the short talk then he and some older dancers would instruct how to do the waltz and salsa for the next hour an a half.

After the class was done the owner of the dance studio Mr. Ward asked the Moores if it was all right if Harry continue to do the occasional dance lecture. Harry sent a puppy eye look to Mrs. Moore begging to allow this and in the end it was affirmed that four times a year the dance school would host dance history/lessons to interested parties.


	27. Morris Better

Luna was excited to introduce Beltane to Harry who had quickly become her best friend. She and her father had got everything together to celebrate the growth of flora and fauna. Some of the subscribers of the Quibbler were also coming because Mr. Lovegood was hosting the Morris dance this year.

Luna couldn’t help but spin around in her dress made special for the dance; the colorful strips of fabric followed her movement as the bells tied to her calf’s chinkle. Beside her are a set of arm ribbons and leg bells for Harry. 

Once Harry did arrive, Luna and he quickly rehearsed together. She also told him that the Beltane fire had been lit the previous night. 

Everyone paired up and started to dance to the music. Rhythmically beating their sticks together and jumping they all felt the earth’s magic slowly start to move with them. Encouraged by this the dancers put more energy in their movements. At the end a burst of energy sprung from the ground and the plant life bloomed before the gatherings eyes.

Mr. Lovegood was overjoyed at the best Morris dance the group had participated in ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terry Pratchett has mentioned Morris dancing multiple times in his writing most notably and what I’m drawing from is in his book Wintersmith. It’s the third book in a series but honestly all of his stories are worth reading
> 
> A few years ago my family went to New York City for Easter and as we were approaching central park (because none of us had ever been to the iconic park) I heard the tell tale ring of the Morris bells and declared it to my group. We headed over to the sound and indeed there was a group of men dancing, and everyone in my family was so impressed that I knew and recognized such a obscure thing which I only know from Wintersmith and NPR’s wait wait don’t tell me.


	28. When Words Dance

Harry’s monthly tea with Aunt Petunia had been replaced by luncheons with Horace. His tutor really wanted to host more events with Harry but a full schedule of dancing prevented that (thank Merlin). 

He had met with politicians, potion masters, quidditch stars and other young heirs to various families that were not currently attending Hogwarts. Making polite talk but not really getting to know anyone, Harry didn’t exactly enjoy it even if it made Horace so happy.

But Harry got through them because each new guest loved to tell Harry just what they did for a living. And all Harry needed to do mostly is listen to them. 

At the end of the luncheon Harry would gladly meet up with Taylor and practice their dancing.


	29. Cha Cha Change of Plans

Voldemort never panics. But is seriously considering alternative plans. Dumbledore never placed the philosophers stone at the end of the third floor corridor. 

And after the new years debacle… the dark lord figured getting in contact with an actual follower of his would be best. Remembering how well off and boastful the young Malfoy heir was the past year, Voldemort knows that he has a tenable idea. 

But another of his horcruxes is stored there. A repeat of his second darkest moment of history must not occur. So Lucius must find another secure hiding place for it. Maybe Hogwarts to replace the lost (reconnected) one and continue to know the insufferable jolly old man can’t detect such dark magic in his domain. 

It doesn’t matter how Lucius completes his task, he’s smart enough to not mess up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dumbledore: the third floor was a red herring, aren’t I delightful?


	30. You Remind Me Of The Babe

It had taken a lot of convincing from Horace to get Remus Lupin to meet Harry. But the prospect of letting Harry learn more of his parents for his birthday was strong. 

He sits at the table holding a scrapbook of photos of James and Lily (more James than Lily [because of their long friendship] except for some photos that James had taken of Lily from afar throughout their Hogwarts years). 

When Harry does come for his special luncheon birthday party Remus is stunned. The boy has grown up so much since infancy. And he looks so much like his father. The single most distinctive trait of the Potter family, his hair, is successfully escaping the attempt of styling. 

Remus sees Horace speak to Harry and gesture in his own direction. Oh, this is happening so quickly. A cautious smile graces Harry’s face, like he’s not sure what to make of a friend of his parents. Remus vows to tell Harry everything about James and Lily, about the Potter family and anything else the boy might want to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> Bringing Remus into my story made me think of werewolves as I was driving today. And I noticed (as I often do) that the moon was visible in the sky even though it was still day time. That led me to wonder if there could be a full moon during the day and what that would mean for were creatures?  
> Through questioning the internet it says that a full moon rises at sunset so no dayweres. And that led to the question of, if a werewolf lived in northern Norway from May to August where there is no night, would they then not turn into wolves because there is no nighttime and full moon? The times where they would transform would drastically decrease, leading to healthier and (possibly) happier weres.  
> And then they would move to the southern tip of South America or to Antartica for the opposite side of the year to further avoid the moon.  
> Have I found the loophole of lycanthropy? Just imagine werewolves migrating like birds, and people knowing when the time when there is no night comes from when the werewolf nomads move into town
> 
> *added knowledge*  
> The full moon lives below the horizon at the poles during their summers.


	31. A Dance to Remember

Harry and Taylor excitedly rushes up the lane towards his ancestral home.  Remus had told him about the house his dad had grown up in during his (magical) birthday party.  Apparently it had to be quarantined when his grandparents got dragonpox and no one had been there since they died.  Which was before he was born.

 

He heard his parents and Remus chuckle at his excitement, but how could he not be?  There before them all was an English manor.  A manor that is all Harry’s. 

 

Remus shows Harry how to magically open the front door and they all entered.  Dust got disturbed as they walked into the foyer, looking at the peculiar silver shadows created by the hand-blown glass windows from the cloudy sky. Remus starts to tell stories of James when he was a teenager and of the potter family in general.  Harry stopped and stared as they entered the dinning hall.

 

It was _huge_.  Like ballroom dancing huge.  He was half paying attention to Remus as he talked about how with magic, the table and chairs are removed and parties could then strike up.  (Dancing being one of the few social activities witches and wizards partake in). 

 

A grin broke out on Harry’s face. He grabbed Taylor’s hand and dragged her into the room, sweeping her into a Viennese Waltz, imagining what the space would look like cleaned up.  Everyone gasped as the room filled with rosy light, the dust vanished and colors everywhere saturated.  Remus was impressed at the act of accidental magic displayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> Everyone always debates about the potter family house and I feel like whenever someone thinks of a british manor they think Pride and Prejudice or Downton Abbey. But those are to modern for an old established family. Of course, there would probably be renovations over the years (that would be more coherent than the Weasley abode) to reflect social trends, needs of the family size growing larger, or personal quirks someone thinks would be cool in their house.  
> I think a family like the Potters would be smart with their house, why have a big dining room and big dance room when with the ease of magic they could be one in the same. And really what else was there for people to do in ye olde time than host parties or go to parties when out in the countryside. Well, there is the theater but no where in the magical world has there been any hint of plays (Hermoine would be ALL OVER that).  
> The scope of manor houses varies greatly in the British Isles. a manor technically means a house of the lord who owns land. And ya know if you own land you're probably rich and can afford a larger house and others. Plus the lord would be in charge of the other people living in the area that he looks after. Again Hermoine would be ALL OVER the full on feudal system of magical Britain and if there was the lord-vassal structure who is in charge of London and looks after diagon alley? The Minister? but thats an elected position and isn't stable. (I have so many questions!)  
> The outside of the older houses would not be 'pretty' for pretty's sake because who knows who could attack their home for gold and food. It was only once Britain in general was safe from attack did architecture blossom (1600's) coincedentaly(?) the same century that the statute of secrecy was made (1689 - 1692). This was also the time when lords were moving manor into more secluded locations to presumably feel more elite (edit* as opposed to living in town or village with populace). But to also protect the knowledge of magic? and then muggle repelling wards would somehow make the populace forget that they had a lord (possibly with the know how of magic) that ever lived there.


	32. Gavotting About

Horace sat in a comfortable armchair as he instructed Harry on the wand movement for the disarming charm. Horace found it such a delight to teach Harry, not to mention the fresh breath his name became with to all of the notable peoples.

Horace called for a break for tea and noticed Harry wanted to ask a question. But why wait for now? After all class time is the time for questions. But the boy’s inquiry has Horace pale. Surely his friend’s letter can’t be right; the chamber of secrets can’t be open once again. 

Oh, it was true, memories of that bleak year returned, a frightening war outside and implausible attacks within the sanctuary that is Hogwarts. Horace is more than glad he retired from his post there and that bright young Harry is safe from that mystery.


	33. Insert Dance Pun Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's difficult making dance puns that perfectly coordinate with the chapter subject. I have a little pile of them that are waiting to be used. But sometimes I draw a blank like with this weeks title.

Harry peels the tape off of another present and sees that it is a book. Looking closer to the title embossed into the fabric cover he sees it is a magical history of dance! 

Being polite, he finishes Christmas with his family. At the first opportunity Harry seizes the book and swiftly heads up to his bedroom. Plopping onto his bed Harry opens the tome. 

Over the next several hours Harry reads only to be interrupted by his mom and realizes that it is time to go to sleep. The flashlight at his bedside will have to be employed tonight. No way was Harry going to wait for morning to continue.

Brushing his teeth Harry thinks on all that he read; the dancing plague of 1518? A curse cast by an extremely angry wizard. That same enchantment was the cause of Mount Vesuvius blowing! Who cares which goblin incited the 12th rebellion. This stuff in this book is fascinating! And communities all over the world worked their own rain dances. Closest being in the Balkans. There were so many other things that he read and so much more to get to!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is my head cannon that Tarantallegra (dancing feet spell) is the cause of the dancing plague.


	34. Contra (Dictory) Dance

Dumbledore fretted as he paced his office. The attacks on his students, the chamber, the board of govenors breathing down his neck.

He _knew_ Tom was the one who opened the chamber half a century ago and hated to see Hagrid ceremoniously carted away as if that would solve everything. It was sad, but Albus had to lose the battle if he needed to win the war. Just how had his wayward former student managed to enter Hogwarts. He had erected wards to prevent possessed persons from entering the school.

Should he give in and close the school? The magical institution had never in its millennium duration been shut down. It will feel like a defeat in his record should that come to pass. Albus weighed the safety of his students to his social reputation. There has to be a way to fix this snafu before another attack occurs.


	35. Gentlemen, Salsa Your Engines

Harry puts some last minute gel through his hair (why won’t it stay still?) while his mom de-lint’s Taylor’s dress. They need to concentrate on the prize; some of their competitors have worked hard and upped their game. Not that Harry and Taylor haven’t put in the hours as well, the pair are determined to keep their top rank. 

The sibling duo strut onto the dance floor when their section is called. When the music starts they move: swaying and sashaying the to upbeat pulse dictating their course over the floor. The noise of parents calling out encouraging the participating dancers is a distinct dissonance to the melody.

During the finals sounds other than the music fade away and couples glide away from each other. No collisions are to be seen. Taylor’s dress flares dramatically and all eyes are drawn to them. 

Harry beams when he is handed his trophy. Looking over to Taylor he sees that she shares the same expression.


	36. Eur yth my?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eurythmy is a poetic dance performance thing that I took back in my Waldorf education days. It often included copper rods you toss around and there is always that one kid in class who thinks its funny to let it fall to the ground and make a huge noise.

Harry recovers from the sensation of side along apparition and thanks Mr. Lovegood for providing the transport before eagerly making his way over to Luna and her neighborhood friend Ginny. 

Apparently she had a tough time this past year being possessed by a malevolent spirit. Luna had asked him to cheer Ginny up, someone who wasn’t a smothering family member. So Harry came prepared with various muggle games and coloring books (with a box of color pencils). 

At first (actually the whole time) Ginny seemed a little star-struck. Probably from his boy-who-lived status, therefore Harry tried to be as normal as possible. Telling stories of practicing dancing endlessly to get results, of not getting jokes when they are first told, and that one time with the ice cream his sister will never let him forget. Hopefully Harry’s next visit with Ginny will be less awkward.


	37. Steps to be Taken

Draco Malfoy stands up straighter as his father tells him how important it is to become an acquaintance or friend of Harry Potter.  It had been a shock when the Daily Prophet announced that Potter was pursuing _tutoring_ of all things instead of attending Hogwarts.  At first it seemed as if the great Harry Potter was to good for Hogwarts, breaking traditions and all that. 

 

But then Draco’s father reported that Potter portrayed the prime example of a proper wizarding child at the Yule Ball. He hadn’t attended because Draco has more important things to do than be patted on the head and spoken at by the Minister again.

 

His father had been spending time building connections with Mr. Slughorn for the past year and a half, and now Draco is invited to the exclusive Potter birthday party.  It is Draco’s job to become friends with Potter and further his social education of wizarding society, who the right sort are (Potter’s doing a good job kinda, spending time with purebloods, but he is still living with _muggles_ , what is with that).


	38. Lettuce Dance

Harry runs his thumb over the outer vane of his quill while Horace debates the uses of foraged mushrooms vs. cultured mushrooms in potions.  He spends a lot of time on herbology and magical creatures and how they relate to potion making.  Horace also sometimes arranges fieldtrips to people who make and sell materials to apothecaries. 

 

Harry thinks that at thirteen years old he has enough knowledge to start his own business.  He won’t do that because _dance_.  But he could if he needed to.

 

Finishing his notes Harry moves over to the workstation to try out several variations of a potion with the mushrooms he’d just learned about.  Horace watched Harry mince, chop and, slice ingredients, Harry paying attention to any tidbits of help that Horace would impart about Harrys work.  When finally done with his brews, Horace showed the subtle differences the ingredients bring out and how it will change effectiveness from one another.


	39. Bolero Someone Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to finally get this plot point out to you people. It was literally one of the first things I thought of when the idea of this fic sprung up.

Harry matches the movement of the flame freezing charm from Horace.  Lightly whirling his arm above his head Harry wonders why this feels familiar. Being told that the spell needs a bit more vigor in the arm to successfully cast, Harry retries. Throughout the day Harry keeps on thinking of that déjà vu sensation.  After finishing with magical classes for the day, Harry portkeys home so he and Taylor can head out to practice.

 

Early into rehearsal they are moving to the music, energetic, and thrumming with life when Harry feels it — the déjà vu.  It’s spinning.  Not when Taylor twirls around but when _he_ turns. 

 

Harry starts envisioning casting magic as a type of dance.  What ifs flying through his mind; what magic can be done in dance, what magic can’t be done, can magic be done without a wand, why is no one doing this?  Harry suddenly remembers celebrating Beltane with Luna and the Morris dance.  He has already preformed dancing magic!  Were there any other instances?

 

Practice kinda (really) got derailed after that.  Harry could not focus on the present.   Taylor and their coach grew frustrated throughout the session, but Harry knew his sister would become excited once he tells her his idea.


	40. Krumping Numbers

Voldemort listens to Lucius’ report on the Potter child. How Draco had easily befriended their enemy, learning all about the boy who lived. 

Dancing? A frivolous endeavor. Voldemort couldn’t decide to be angry or happy that Potter wasn’t focusing on magic. It would be that much easier to crush him, if he wanted to. Potter is the last of his family. Such a shame that people are such fools to disagree with the last descendant of Salazar Slytherin and die. If only Potter could see reason. See what is best for magic and its rightful citizens. Would it be easier for his plans it Potter is gone? Or just think of how the sheep would flock to him if Potter is on his side.

Voldemort instructs his loyal follower to get his son to persuade Potter on what is needed to abandon muggles.


	41. Foxtrot Leads To Foxrun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. I traveled to see my sister this weekend and it takes eight hours driving one way. And you know I should be social while visiting so no time to write/update. And I got back home at 2:30 AM Monday morning so sleep was the best idea at the time, and work during the day. So yeah, update's late. It's not going to be a habit.
> 
> Oh, while at my sisters she has this game Punderdome, which is all about thinking up puns! I won (I'm so smug).

Harry thinks on how he’ll practice dancing magic. It’d be smart to have an adult watch incase of any wild magic happenings. The various accidents he has caused just in class with Horace makes Harry want magical supervision while experimenting. 

But Horace tends to get… braggy? Harry isn’t sure how long it will take to get this done. So if people start expecting things from him (more that they already do) Harry doesn’t know how he’ll handle that. So who to ask? Remus? He’s really the only other magical adult who Harry knows beyond societal functions. 

Plus Remus always tells Harry stories about his birth parents when he is around. Harry loves the picture of his parents dancing in front of a fountain. Maybe Remus will tell Harry what songs they danced to at their wedding. Those songs could serve inspiration for whatever he is searching for.


	42. Gaut Heir Mail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gautheir (to my best knowledge pronounced goat-tier [{please read the title as Got Her Mail} its french who knows how words should be said?]) is a dancer of the experimental variety. I find it fits Luna's eccentricity perfectly. 
> 
>  
> 
> The favorite clip I found is with the dancers moving around and through a stream of falling sand. It is mesmerizing.

Luna lies on the grassy grounds of Hogwarts penning a response to Harrys latest letter. It was oh so fascinating, the idea of casting everyday magic through dance. Maybe dancing will convince the nargles to leave her shoes be.

Luna’s topics drift from the temporal inaccuracies she experienced within the school library, a delightful conversation shared with a 14th century painting of a sleepy Shepard, to yet another secret passage she wondered onto while searching for the elusive Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks before noting that her dad might have some leads to wizards, witches or creatures that perform magical dances.

Rolling up her letter Luna whistles a rambling tune that somehow attracts a school owl. Praising the raptor she ties her message secure with the stalk of a honking daffodil and watches the bird soar away.


	43. Plié To Your Strengths

Draco seals his latest correspondence to Harry Potter and sighs.  It is so hard to convince people what to do through letter.  He wants to do his best for one, Potter shouldn’t be with muggles (he is **magic** for Merlin’s sake!) and two, his father is counting on him.

 

Potter is just to obsessed with dancing.  It feels like unless Draco imperius’ him or somehow destroys muggle dancing Potter will always be _contaminated_ by muggles. Both options are impossible. Brute force and total mayhem are not the best ways of keeping friends.  Draco should know; there was a reason he only had Crabe and Goyle as companions.  Brute force and total mayhem indeed.

 

But back to Potter, how to sway him away from the muggles without possibly leading him to any stupid blood traitors or worse- _mudbloods_.  Draco throws his head back and breaths deeply.  This is for Potters own good and for magical Britain’s own good.  It is a lot for a teenage to be in charge of, but that just shows how Draco’s father is proud and believes that Draco can handle this. Its an honor.  Its an _honor_.


	44. Who Waits at Charleston

Harry can’t believe it! Mr. Lovegood made contact with someone who is willing to talk about their personal knowledge of dance magic!!! And they already have plans to be in Britain for the Quidditch World Cup! That’s only three months away!

Harry cooks up wild ideas of who this master dancer could be with Taylor: A princess in exile for dancing too much? Or possibly the last of an ancient race of nearly forgotten magicals who only express themselves through movement? Maybe it’s a dazzle of sentient zebra come to spread their secret synchronized dance moves? If magical history is to be believed any of those options could not only be spot on but not ludicrous.

The siblings dissolve into giggles at their increasingly outlandish theories before getting ready for bed, another competition is coming up so the dancing partners must get proper rest for maximum energy to win.


	45. Grinding the Hours Away

Harry quickly writes out his work process of a pre-algebra problem.  He only has ten more minutes to his math exam and there are just a few more questions to answer. 

 

This week had been filled with tests for all of his subjects (except astronomy: that was held back in January because stargazing at 7 pm is so much more reasonable than 2 am.)  Once maths are over Harry will be done for the day. He really wants to get out of a chair and _move_. 

 

Mr. Belby (Harry’s non magical tutor) stopped Harry when the timer ran out and collected the test.  Harry sets his pencil down (because math and permanent ink are not friends) and stretches the fingers of his right hand, getting rid of the cramp.

 

Tomorrow is his final day, Harry dreams of leaping out of his chair the next day and blissfully waving textbooks goodbye.  But not yet — twenty four hours — plus charms, and runes exams.  He should cram the runic alphabet again tonight just to be sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> Something has bothered me for years in the Harry Potter 'verse: Namely astronomy. 
> 
> When I was in high school I took a family trip to Scotland during summer vacation. And quickly noticed that being so far north, it was still light out at eleven pm! So looking at charts of sunsets and sunrises I find that Inverness (my stand-in location for Hogwarts [mentioned in my rant from chapter 11]) looses total night on April 30th. But there is still astronomical twilight for students to stare into the void.
> 
> Except astronomical twilight disappears on May 24th. Leaving nautical twilight when exams roll around in the first week of June, which doesn't seem ideal for testing because there is still a portion of the sky a pinkish red glow dampening star visibility. It'd be common sense for the practical portion of astronomy to be held in winter when the nights are longer, darker and the BEST TIME FOR ASTRONOMY!
> 
> Go look up sun graphs and see what I am talking about  
>  
> 
> edit bonus rant:
> 
> My math teacher at the Waldorf school I attended required us to do everything in fountain pen (fountain pens were the standard writing implement there). Which sucked! If a mistake was made we'd have to cross whatever we did out and start from scratch. So I have Harry use a pencil because his regular tutor is wise to the ways of the muggle world and erasing saves paper space.


	46. Abstraction, Subtraction, Attraction

Apolline could only stare. The interested student is a boy? She thought Xenophilius Lovegood meant his daughter when he had written about sharing her knowledge of dance magic that Veela implement. 

Realizing the center of a family reunion is quiet possibly the worst spot for a male human to be, Apolline dismisses her eldest daughter while motioning for her youngest daughter to follow as she physically drags the boy away from her cousins and aunts. 

Finding a small clearing in the woods nearby (not many people were using them, the quidditch match wasn’t for another three days) Apolline centers herself and dampens the charm she usually exudes (something only achievable when mature and with constant attention). Seeing that her new charge is confusedly blinking she knows it is working and starts reconfiguring how she will teach dancing to a boy.


	47. Keeping Social with the Dance

Taylor glances over her book only to silently giggle over Harry scribbling out a letter with his quill. It perfectly matches what she had just read in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin’s characters are always writing letters to one another. In fact, everything she knows about the Magical World sounds straight out of the Regency era.

She watched Harry sign his name at the bottom of the letter, fold it inside an envelope and set it aside for stamping. Mum and Dad still wouldn’t let Harry seal his letters in wax without their supervision: open flames and all that. 

Taylor wonders if she could convincingly use her personal knowledge of ‘historic’ letter writing (its not really historic if people are legitimately using it now, was it?) for the summer book report she is writing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning rant ahead:
> 
> Something I've always head cannoned is that the wizarding world matches more with the regency era rather than the victorian that others gravitate towards.  
> My reasoning: The industrial revolution started in the 1760's but really only impacted business in the beginning. Magicals possibly would have been able to avoid or ignore the changes when in the muggle world. By the 1820's technology was picking up, commercial trains began operation (the same decade the hogwarts express was acquired) but were still sparse. I remember reading somewhere that wizards went about in carriages same as muggles but with technology starting to spring up and being different wizards didn't like it, purebloods did not accept the idea of the revolutionary school transport.  
> So wizards stopped advancing in the early to mid 1800's seeing as the wizarding world still uses parchment (prepared animal skin): paper and parchment have bounced between being the favored throughout the centuries but all agree that parchment is the finer medium for writing, and again the industrial revolution would have pushed for the cheaper and more scalable paper production and would scoff at that while clutching their parchment and quills.  
>   
> TL;DR victorians society had to much tech for wizards


	48. The Boogie-Woogie Man

Voldemort thinks. Thinks on how the triwizard tournament will benefit him. How he can further his international reach, how Karkaroff will weep at his past wrongs and reaffirm his loyalty or die, how Voldemort will grow stronger and regain a true body.

Lucius has been a most helpful source, gathering information on dark rituals and misdirecting attention on why that information is being gathered. Some rituals are more practical but others hold more aesthetic appeal to the dark lords obsession with power and dominance. 

Lucius by orders from Voldemort had begun to feel out the other death eaters who are not incarcerated. Voldemort won’t let many people see him at such a low point but a few careful fervent followers may be allowed. 

Voldemort caresses Nagini as she whispers about the tasty things she finds while slithering around outside and continues to think on his plans.


	49. Hop to It

Harry turns and looks at Remus, nods and watches as his (friend, uncle? How does one categorize your birth parents friend that you never interacted with until relatively recently?) start the phonograph. The first notes of the music floated into his ears and Harry tries to move in a way that would evoke light. 

Contrary to what light is Harry’s eyes close and lets his body dictate the personification of the sun. Fingers flicked out, bursting like fireworks as his arms flowed like dust flittering in and out of streams of light that one observes in an abandoned building.

That warmth of sunlight creeps up his legs: the kind that cats always nap in. Harry is now aware of a – gentle not quite buzzing vibration – in front of him, as he no longer sees the black of his eyelids but orange-red. At the same time Remus loudly gasped making Harry wonder what happened. Spinning Harry opens his eyes and locates Remus who is smiling so hard it pulls oddly at his facial scars body tense as he grips the phonograph stand.

Does this mean – did he finally? The techniques he learned from Apolline really helped, the really helped!


	50. Clogging the Path

Harry had to promise Remus he wouldn’t continue his unique dancing without supervision now that there is a breakthrough.  But its so hard!  Harry wants to practice and completely understand dancing magic. 

 

Except Harry has schooling, competition dance, and general social life getting in the way.  He doesn’t want to abandon Taylor and their success for a personal project.  Plus working around Remus’ _furry little problem._   

 

It’s been a few weeks and their schedules have realigned.  Harry is bouncing on his toes, ready to continue.  It seems easier and harder to bring forth the light, because his dance moves are not the exact same ones from his previous session.  But it is like Apolline explained, the intention is just as important as the moves, which mirrors the rhetoric drilled into Harry about spell casting.  Just that dancing is more wild (primal as Apolline described) than wand work.

 

All Harry knows is it will be a while until he can ace a test on charms through dance.


	51. You’re Saut a Teuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sauteuse is a popular waltz dance back in the English Regency days that I am describing as brisk and lively.

Dumbledore listens to Snape report about his recent conversation with Lucius Malfoy. Concerned with the news that the Dark Lord is in the country and looking to start his war again Dumbledore begins to write letters: to gather the order of the phoenix.

Dumbledore knows that Harry is vital to the defeat of Voldemort. Glancing at a drawer kept closed with the most secure of locking and containment enchantments that holds the answers to all of his questions. An innocent looking journal whose only mark of identification is a worn out name sketched onto it. 

Looking through countless tomes in the forgotten corners of the restricted section in the library had turned up a horrifying secret. But knowing is half the battle, what will Dumbledore do with this knowledge…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is more directed at me than Dumbledore. Giving you some information but not all. Mwa-ha-ha-ah-ha.


	52. Prancing Show Pony

For the first time Harry thanks the fancy lunches he attends with Horace. All of those meetings figuring out what to serve will be useful for his own party.

When he learned that the Yule Ball hosted for the tri-wizard tournament was restricted to the upper years only, Harry felt that people shouldn’t be excluded from dancing. So Harry decided that he would host a ball for the younger years. It’ll be fun. 

Plus, he already received word from Mrs. Weasley that her children would attend. All of them. Including those that have already graduated. Luna and Ginny are right, she is a force of nature. 

Well, the party won’t lack numbers with the Weasley’s attending.


	53. Rave Reviews

Taylor catches herself admiring her new dress in a window reflection again. Harry had whisked her away to a fancy bespoke wizard wear shop to have something made up for the party. And it is truly beautiful: a soft fabric that changes from a rich warm gold to a shiny deep lilac when it catches the light. With embroidered snowflakes gathering all along the hems that sparkle like diamonds. It reaches the floor and flares around in gorgeous sweeps when she spins.

Enough with all that, Taylor needs to focus on the party. Her first time really interacting with wizards and witches, Taylor doesn’t count the afternoon she and Harry tried to explain the microwave to Luna the only time she visited their house.

Around forty people mingled and danced in the Potter family dining hall. Most of the night she’s stuck close to Harry, nervous, because what if these magic wielding kids find her boring or not good enough. Taylor has gathered that there is prejudice within the magical world based on magic or its lack thereof. 

A lanky red head approached her and asked for a dance. She can do this: She is a champion ballroom dancer, an honor roll student, and winner of the scare dare of ’92. No situation will get the best of her.


End file.
